The Improv Space

Introducing: The You Convention – comedy that’s all about YOU!

Are you sick of those comedy teams that are so full of themselves? Well fret no more! Here comes The You Convention! Not only do we make it funny – we make it all about YOU!

The You Convention is the newest house team at The Improv Space. So new in fact, that the group makes its world debut this Wednesday, October 10 at 8 PM! This is YOUR chance to be a part of hyperbolic history! And it will only cost you $5 FREE DOLLARS!

Now I want you to guess who just happens to be a member of this brand new group. Go on, guess! Huh, the internet doesn’t seem to be as instantaneous as advertised. Oh I’ll just tell you: it’s me! I hope that wasn’t too much of a curve ball for you. But wait it’s not just me (thank god)! I’m thrilled to be starting this group along with Dan Adams, Hunter M. Altman, Brian Cooperman, Robin Higgins, Andre Radojcich, and Mark Royer! Great improvisers, all. And of course, we wouldn’t even exist as a group without Adam Macy and the rest of the fine and funny folks at The Improv Space. So I hope you’ll come out to see us this Wednesday so we can make YOU laugh!

But in the off-chance you can’t make a Wednesday night show, I’ll be performing more YOU-focused improv comedy this Saturday night with my other group the Magic Meathands! We’ll be joined by the improvisers Barney Five. Check out our Facebook event for more details.

Open Mic Improv at The Improv Space every Wednesday night

Last night I went to The Improv Sessions for the second time. This is a weekly open show held by The Improv Space for exactly zero dollars. If you’re part of an improv group or just want to show up alone and get thrown in with others, this is a great way to play and learn from others. Just throw your name or team’s name in a hat to get called up to do 10-15 minutes. Then at the end a bunch of random people are called up for a jam, which challenges you even more to play with people you might be meeting for the first time.

There’s a great energy to the show thanks to the able hosting of Benjamin Crutcher, and all of the players are supportive, and skilled enough to do fun and funny mini-shows. Usually with this kind of format, there’s that guy or that team that’s just kinda painful, but that hasn’t happened yet. (Maybe I’ve just lucked out on the nights I’ve gone. Or… maybe I’m that guy!)

It starts at 9 PM every Wednesday night and runs about two hours. And yes, it’s FREE.

Friday is Brought to You by Guitar Kitteh

Things to do this weekend in LA:

COMEDY – The X-ecution: Final 4! Kathie Bostian of the Magic Meathands is still in the running! It’s elimination-style improv comedy with $500 and meetings with top talent agencies at stake. Find out who gets eliminated and who moves on to the next week at The Improv Space in Westwood, Friday, 8-9 PM. Tickets: $10.

BOOK RELEASE – Surreal painter/cartoonist Tom Neely has a book release and signing for his new release The Wolf at Secret Headquarters in Silver Lake, Friday, 8-10 PM. Tickets: free. [Interview/preview at LA Weekly]

COMEDY – The Magic Meathands (with me!) and Jump Start: two improv comedy troupes for one night of spontaneous funny, at The Spot Café in Culver City, Saturday, 8-10 PM. Tickets: $7.

COMEDY – Comedy Revival features over a dozen stand-up comics (Steve Simone, Matty Goldberg, Abbey Londer, Hailey Boyle, Francisco Abello, Rosie Tran, Kelsey Cook, Mark Alderson, TK Kelly, Matina Bevis, Erin Hart, Adam Barnhardt, and Ted Twyman!) in the Belly Room of The Comedy Store in Hollywood, Sunday, 8-10 PM.

Friday is brought to you by Doggie Cuddling Kitteh

Things to do in LA this weekend:

COMEDY – The X-ecution: Final 5 Part 2! No one was voted off last week, so Kathie Bostian of the Magic Meathands returns! It’s elimination-style improv comedy with $500 and meetings with top talent agencies at stake. Find out who gets eliminated and who moves on to the next week at The Improv Space in Westwood, Friday, 8-9 PM. Tickets: $10.

COMEDY/COMICS/THEATER – The new and improved Spectacular Superhero Variety Hour at Meltdown Comics in Hollywood, Friday, 8 PM. Tickets: $10. [Interview with director Ben Dickow]

THEATER – Another production of The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged) opens to celebrate the show’s 10th Anniversary. It’s a parody of the Bard’s plays performed by 3 men in 2 hours, at the San Luis Obispo Little Theatre, Friday, 7 PM. Tickets: $25-35.

COMEDY – The improv comedy group Held2Gether does their totally uncensored show Last Laugh Saturday at the Hot Java, Long Beach, Saturday, 8 – 11 PM.

This Friday is brought to you by Human-Tolerating Kittehs

Things to do this weekend in and around LA:

FESTIVAL – Hollywood Fringe is on! See a ton of everything in a bunch of places all over Hollywood, until June 26. Includes a variety of art, such as Pulp Shakespeare (What if Pulp Fiction was written by William Shakespeare?), Marathon Redux (a sampling of Theater of NOTE’s eclectic mix of performance art), Voices From Chornobyl Jr. (interactive/educational theater for kids about the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Disaster), and much more. Tickets: various.

COMICS – Book signing by Gene Luen Yang (American Born Chinese) and Thien Pham for their new graphic novel Level Up published by First Second Books, at Secret Headquarters in Silver Lake, Friday, 7-9 PM.

COMEDY – The X-ecution: Final 5, with Kathie Bostian of the Magic Meathands in the top 5! It’s elimination-style improv comedy with $500 and meetings with top talent agencies at stake. Find out who gets eliminated and who moves on to the next week at The Improv Space in Westwood, Friday, 8-9 PM. Tickets: $10.

THEATER – The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged), a parody of Willie the Shake’s plays performed by 3 men in 2 hours from Accidents Happen Theatre, at Nadia’s Rhythm Room, Sherman Oaks, Saturday, 8-11 PM. Tickets: $12 online, $15 at the door.

COMICS – Graphic Novel Sale where you can buy 2 and get 1 of equal or lesser value free at Golden Apple Comics, Hollywood, until Sunday.

This Friday is brought to you by Don’t Like Surprise Kitteh

Things to do in Los Angeles this weekend:

COMEDY – The X-ecution: Final 6 and we’re still rooting for Kathie Bostian of the Magic Meathands! It’s elimination-style improv comedy with $500 and meetings with top talent agencies at stake. Find out who gets eliminated and who moves on to the next week at The Improv Space in Westwood, Friday, 8-9 PM. Tickets: $10

MUSIC – Singer/songwriter Maureen Toth launches her debut album Shine at Molly Malone’s in the Fairfax District of LA, Friday, 8 PM. She’ll be joined for an acoustic set with blues/folk guitarist Bernie Larsen, bassist David Sutton and drummer Butch Norton. Tickets: $10

COMMUNITY – The Great Wall of Los Angeles Bubble Bath is looking for volunteers. Help clean up the longest mural in the world (1000 feet depicting the history of Los Angeles from pre-history to now!) by gathering with others at the Great Wall of Los Angeles in Valley Glen, Saturday, 10 AM to 4 PM. If interested, email felipe@sparcmurals.org or call 310-822-9560, ext 10 at the the Social and Public Art Resource Center and leave your name, phone and email.

COMEDY – I perform family friendly improv comedy with the Magic Meathands at the The Spot Café & Lounge in Culver City, Saturday, 8 PM. Opening for us is the South Bay improv troupe Jump Start. Tickets: $7 ($3 for kids 12 & under)

THEATER – Pulp Shakespeare answers the age-old question, “What if Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction was written by William Shakespeare?”, at the Actor’s Circle Theatre in West Hollywood, Saturday, 6 PM and Sunday, 7 PM. Catch the previews of this show right before it officially debuts at Hollywood Fringe next week. Tickets: $10

This Friday is brought to you by Epic Snuggling Kittehs

Skip to about :30 for the cute explosion but the first half with twitching open-mouthed napping kitteh is adorable too. (Thanks, Kat and Lisa and about 20 other Facebook friends!)

Things to do in LA this weekend:

MUSIC – Rhino Records Pop Up Store returns to Los Angeles for a special series of concerts to benefit The Recording Academy’s popular music community services charity MusiCares. Opening night features Bob Forrest‘s Thelonius Monster at 10952 Santa Monica Blvd. in Westwood, Friday, 8 PM. Suggested donation of $5-$15. The entire series runs March 27-June 12.

COMEDY – The X-ecution: Final 7 and the Magic Meathands‘ Kathie Bostian is still in the running! It’s elimination-style improv comedy with $500 and meetings with top talent agencies at stake. Find out who gets eliminated and who moves on to the next week at The Improv Space in Westwood, Friday, 8-9 PM. Tickets are $10.

COMEDY – I perform improv comedy with the Magic Meathands in a tag-team show with Long Beach improv group Held2Gether at The Spot Café in Culver City, Saturday, 8 PM. Tickets: $7.

COMEDY – I perform more improv comedy with the Magic Meathands in a big variety show spectacular with Victorville improv group Darwin’s A-Team, comedian Ahmed Bharoocha and musician Bob Mitchell, at The Talking Stick in Venice, Sunday, 8 PM. FREE!

This Friday is brought to you by Roly-Poly Kitteh

That kitty kinda looks like my kitty!

Unrelated news: There’s an update to the status of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Stan Lee and The Governator.

Things to do in LA this weekend:

COMEDY – The X-ecution continues and the Magic Meathands‘ Kathie Bostian has made it to the Final 9! Last week, she won immunity thanks to audience support, which meant she was automatically safe and performed with the improv group The Board. Will she make it this week?  It’s elimination-style improv comedy with $500 and meetings with top talent agencies at stake. Find out at The Improv Space in Westwood, Friday, 8-9 PM. Tickets are $10.

END TIMES – The Rapture is supposed to happen on Saturday, everywhere. 3% of the population will be called to heaven. Earthquakes will spread across the planet “as the sun advances”. Life will be generally crummy for the remaining 97%, presumably, until the world will finally sputter to an end on October 21, 2011. So, stock up on water, I guess. If you’re one of the Left Behind and looking for something to do, there’s always Post Rapture Looting.

ENTERTAINMENT – The 2nd Annual Silver Lake Jubilee is this weekend with tons of music, comedy, comics reading event, interactive theater games, and lots more, Saturday and Sunday. Performances will be held under the bridge at Sunset and Santa Monica Blvds. in Silver Lake, starting at 10 am each day and going late into the night.

BENEFIT – A collection of 20 scantily clad women will be washing cars in their bikinis to raise money for the victims of the tornado in Alabama. There will also be live DJs spinning music and a live podcast noon to 3. The Alabama Tornado Victims Charity Fundraiser Bikini Car Wash will be at Norm’s 76 gas station on Sunset in West Hollywood, Sunday, 10am – 6pm. 100% of the proceeds will go to the Tuscaloosa Disaster Relief Fund, run by the Tuscaloosa Chamber of Commerce. Suggested donation: $10 & up.

This Friday is brought to you by Shot In 3D Kitteh

Things to do in LA this weekend:

COMEDY: The X-ecution is down to the Final 10! It’s elimination-style improv comedy with $500 and meetings with top talent agencies at stake. Our own Kathie Bostian of the Magic Meathands is in the line-up, code-named The Snake. Cheer her on at The Improv Space in Westwood, Friday 8-9 PM. Tickets are $10.

ART / MUSIC: The first annual Atwater Art Walk debuts on Glendale Blvd., specifically with art at 55˚ Wine and Kaldi Coffee and Tea, and music at Revo Café in the LA neighborhood of Atwater Village on Saturday, 5-10 PM.

COMEDY: Family-friendly improv comedy featuring the Magic Meathands (with me!) and Jump Start Improv at The Spot Café in Culver City, Saturday, 8-10 PM. Tickets are $7.